Governance

Shelley has two young children who attend the school and was drawn to Waldorf education as it takes account of the needs of the whole child.

Shelley has over 20 years’ experience working within the public and private sectors across a range of industries including health and IT.  She has established and managed governance and accountability structures, led business and hospital process re-design, developed strategies and business plans, undertaken project management roles, held executive support roles for Boards and senior executives and managed IT training for large scale reform projects. In her spare time, Shelley enjoys gardening and aims to grow as much of the food for her family as possible.

She enjoys sharing with her boys the skills of growing food – from raising the seed, to harvest, to plate.  When not in the garden, she is often in her kitchen preserving food by dehydrating, pickling, conserving and canning.

Peter has one granddaughter at the school, and another close on her heels. This is pleasing for Peter as he has developed firm belief in Steiner pedagogical principles. His own children studied at Cabra College, where he was a Board member for 9 years, assuming the Chair for 4 of them. He has also been a director of The Wilderness Society here in SA since 2006, with about 6 years as Chair and these past 4 years as Treasurer, plus on the Board of their national leadership body for 5 years.

Peter calls himself a ‘StrategiCulturEvolutionist’ – well, just for fun really.  But he has worked for about 20 years with enterprise and industry leadership groups to support their professional growth, enabling them to better grasp and respond to increasingly turbulent conditions, and to catalyse teams and team members to develop the enterprise culture, strategic capability and operational wherewithal necessary to thrive in any context or to tackle any challenge.

Earlier in his career there were 30 years in banking, holding management roles at Westpac and Community CPS Credit Union, developing what he hopes is a good appreciation for the challenges of leadership and of governance principles and functions, especially as they apply to not-for-profit / member-owned enterprises.

Brad has over 25 years experience working within the public and private sectors across engineering projects, where he brings his Civil Engineering and project management experience.

Previously he has sat on the inaugural board for the SA (home) Brewing Club, and has held various roles on committees (including President) at the Bridgewater Cricket Club.

He has experience across the management of multi-disciplinary infrastructure projects, covering strategy, resource management and scheduling.

His hobbies include gardening and tinkering in the shed with his daughter, playing guitar poorly, and he’s currently learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Louise has over 30 experience working in education and for the past 20 years supporting young people with additional needs in the areas of inclusive education and the profit for purpose disability sectors. Throughout her career she has held a number of management and executive roles and has developed and re-designed services using evidence-based practice to build sustainability and improve outcomes. Louise has experience on various Boards and Service Delivery Committees – currently Supporting Guide Dogs SA in this Service Delivery area.

Louise as the GM Children’s Services at Minda for the past 4 years is constantly trying to find ways to ensure the young people she support achieve their very best outcomes. In her spare time… She reads a cosy murder mystery and travels the world – when she can.

He has over 20 years’ experience in the field of Health, Safety and Environment including ultra-high risk industries. With a strong background in advising and transforming organisations and leading large teams across the Australia Pacific Region, Jake brings a comprehensive understanding of complex HSE systems, with successful implementation across industries including mining, logistics, oil & gas, rail, port services, HV utilities and renewable energy systems.

Jake thoroughly enjoys mentoring and guiding teams, utilising key learnings to promote continuous improvement for a safer and more productive workplace.

In his spare time he enjoys travelling with his family and trying new culinary experiences.

Victoria has led major projects, including digital transformation; and brings extensive expertise in audit, risk, project management, and strategic financial leadership to the Board. She is passionate about education and community-centred development and values the School’s commitment to nurturing independent, capable and compassionate young people. Victoria is committed to supporting responsible governance, sound financial stewardship, and ensuring the School’s long-term sustainability.

Outside of her professional role, Victoria volunteers within the community, supporting initiatives that assist people experiencing homelessness and hardship. She is motivated by contributing to inclusive and caring communities and is dedicated to lifelong learning.

Victoria’s qualifications include: GAICD, MBA, CPA, Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting).

Chris brings extensive experience in education leadership, operations, finance and strategic planning within the Department for Education and broader community organisations. He currently works as a Business Leader within a large South Australian public school, where he leads finance, facilities, administration and support services in partnership with school leadership and governing bodies.

With a strong interest in organisational culture, community engagement and long-term sustainability, Chris is passionate about supporting schools to create environments where young people, families and staff can flourish. His professional experience includes leadership of large and diverse teams, strategic planning, infrastructure development and governance-related responsibilities across public education and community organisations.

Chris was drawn to the Board through both his professional background and as a parent of two children attending the school. He values the holistic philosophy of Steiner education and its emphasis on nurturing the whole child through creativity, curiosity, belonging and purposeful learning.

Earlier in his career, Chris worked for many years within a remote Aboriginal corporation in the Northern Territory, where he held operational and governance leadership responsibilities. This experience shaped his appreciation for relationship-based leadership, community engagement and culturally responsive governance.

Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with family, music, woodworking and woodturning. In an earlier chapter of life, he was a classically trained viola player and opera singer, and he continues to value the important role of the arts in education and community life.